


Worth it.

by Randigzebra



Series: Family Always comes first. [1]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Everybody Lives, Insecure Steve Rogers, M/M, Married Life, Not Beta Read, Parent Steve Rogers, Parent Tony Stark, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2017-09-26
Packaged: 2019-01-05 18:07:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12195012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Randigzebra/pseuds/Randigzebra
Summary: Steve had been a stay home dad for the last 12 years and as the children are growing up he misses his old job as a teacher and he tries to talk to Tony about it and it doesn't go so well.





	Worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I know I should be working on other things but being out of the country and struggling with jet lag is no joke and then I got sick!  
> But here is something and I will get into Broken heart, broken soul!  
> Until then enjoy this short piece I wrote out of boredom!
> 
> Kudos and Comments make me happy!
> 
> Much love!

Steve Stark had done a lot for his family. He had never regretted it and would never regret it. He loved his family and he loved his children and would do anything for them. That’s why he had no problem quitting his job as an art teacher when they were younger to take care of them, they needed him more then he needed his job and that was a sacrifice he was willing to make even as his husband said that they could work out a schedule between their jobs. But he knew that would be next to impossible and he wanted to make sure that his kids knew who their parents where and not let them be raised by different nannies and staff. He wanted a family then he should be there for them as well.

But that was twelve years ago he had made that decision and he realized that his children were growing up and could almost take care of themselves and didn’t depend on him for everything. When they left the house in the morning and he kissed his husband good bye he was left alone until the afternoon when they arrived home again and that was if he was lucky usually they were home around six every night with school activities, friends and other things important for teenagers. His husband wasn’t much better with running an international corporation Steve was happy the days he could work from home and he had someone to eat lunch with and talk to for that matter.

But more often than not it was just him and the family dog, a black Labrador named Pixie. His daughter had a fascination with pixie dust when they got the dog eight years ago.

He sighs as he comes back to reality and watch as his family was eating breakfast. Their children Adam and Joanna where looking through homework while eating their toast and bowl of fruit and Tony was talking on the phone about the upcoming product launch he had been working on for months. He looked over at Adam and Joanna again smiling at his children, still finding it unbelievable that they had been in their lives 12 years. Their plan had been to adopt Joanna who had been three at the time then one of the workers had mentioned something about not wanting to split the pair, this had led to Steve wondering what she meant and he got the story of how Adam and Joanna had been victims of a bad home with an abusive father and drug using mother. So Tony and Steve had just looked at each other and it was decided without even saying a word that they would become parents of two. To this day Adam was still protective of his little sister and would never let anyone hurt her or even come close to her if he suspected that they were bad news.

“Dad? Can I go to Ashley after school?” Joanna breaks his train of thoughts.

“Yeah sure. Just be home before nine.” He informs her. “You guys should head to school.” He says as he gets up from the table and start clearing it. Tony was still on the phone but seemed calmer then before as Steve pass him by he squeezes the shoulder softly before moving into the kitchen with the dirty dishes and he hears Joanna and Adam going out the door saying good bye as they do. As he puts things back into the fridge, put the dishes in the dishwasher and cleared the table Tony finished his phone call.

“Sorry about that.” Tony says as his arms wrap around Steve’s waist and Tony rests his head between the shoulder blades.

“It’s alright. It’s a big launch.” Steve replies as he turns in his husbands arms. He was used to it. They had been together for twenty years and married for fifteen. Steve knew that the month leading up to the launch was always hectic for Tony. So he always let the genius be and when Tony was done with the launch he came back to the real world and always made up for it by taking Steve away for the weekend or an expensive dinner when the children where younger.

It had started when Tony went into product launch mode the first year they had dated and they were about five months in and Steve was certain that Tony had grown sick of him and was just ignoring him when he didn’t pick up his phone for weeks and at the time Steve didn’t have a cellphone so he just had to wait patiently and when Tony came out of his launch mode he apologized over and over again and took Steve away to his house in the Hamptons and they barley left the bed for the entire weekend. And the tradition was born and Steve didn’t need the reassurance anymore like he did that first year but it was always nice to get away with Tony.

“We should go away for a week this year. St Barth’s maybe?” Tony suggests and places a kiss on Steve’s jaw.

“We can’t… we have two kids remember?” Steve chuckles and places a kiss on Tony’s forehead.

“They can survive on their own for a week! Or we let them spend a week at Clint and Laura’s farm they need to get out of the city more!” Tony suggests.

“Let’s take our usual weekend and have Pepper watch them and when the winter break comes around we can go the whole family.” Tony knows there is no arguing with Steve now.

“Okay whatever you say babe… But remember if the kids are there we have to be quiet.” Tony teased. Its quiet between them for a moment and Tony looks into his husbands eye before he speaks again, this time much quieter as he was asking him for his darkest secret. “What is on you mind babe? I can see that something is eating away at you.”

Steve sighs. Tony was not wrong. And he also knew that Tony wouldn’t let him get away with anything but the truth.

“You are late for work.” He tries as he puts on that fake smile he had perfected over the years when he attended galas and events with Tony.

“Steve…”

“We can talk after the launch. I know it’s important.”  Steve says before placing a kiss on his husbands lips and gets out of the embrace and begins to

“It’s not as important you. Nothing is as important as you.” Steve looks at Tony with these sad eyes he had never seen before.

Steve thinks for a moment wondering how he should formulate himself to get his point across. “I miss teaching… I miss having a purpose.” He admits.

Of course Tony’s filter wasn’t on and his thoughts went to worst case scenario before anything else. “So our kids aren’t enough purpose for you?”

Steve sighs knowing he shouldn’t have brought it up because he knows Tony. Plus Tony was under a lot of stress right now and didn’t need anything more added to his plate, he knew this yet he had been convinced by his words. “You know what? We will talk about this when your launch is over.” Steve decides.

“No we will talk about this now!”

“No we won’t! You are late and you refuse to see reason!” Steve shouts. He didn’t mean to shout but sometimes he just got so angry.

“I am not the one who forced you to be a stay at home dad!” Tony mutters as he turns around and walks out the door slamming it as he is out.

“I know…” Steve whispers to an empty house.

\--

It was late when Tony came home. There was a note on the counter that the dinner was in the fridge. He sighs and heats his dinner and basically inhales it, he hadn’t had anything since breakfast. Then he moves to their bedroom assuming that Steve had gone to bed already but when he opens the door the bed is still made from this morning and Pixie sleeping at the foot of it. He walks in and scratches her behind her ears before changing out of his suit and into a t-shirt and sweatpants. Then the search began for his husband.

He walks down the hallway and checks on his kids to make sure they were asleep which they were and he closed the door behind him before he wandered down the stairs and into the office they had there. Steve was sitting in the office chair looking at the computer. He leans against the doorway and knock on the open door making Steve spin around.

“Hey, did you have dinner?” Steve wonders.

“Yeah it was delicious thank you.” Tony replies and it’s quiet between them not knowing how to breech the subject.

“Did you know that the Gracias down the street got a divorce?” He questions and Tony just shakes his head. “Married for thirty years and three kids together and she devoted her entire life to her husband and kids. Kindest woman you’ll ever meet.” Steve continues and Tony is still not catching on. “Now she lives in a studio apartment because that is all she can afford after the divorce and is forced to begin working again and she is 58...”

“That is awful it is… But what does that have to do with us?” Tony wonders not leaving his place at the doorway.

“That could be me…” Steve whispers. “If we were ever to divorce I could be the one to live in a studio apartment.” He confesses as he fiddles with his wedding band.

“Do you want a divorce?” Tony questions.

“No of course not! But the kids are soon leaving for college and I will be home alone all day and I will have no purpose with my life.” He explains. “When the kids were younger they needed me for everything and they were my life and my purpose!”

It’s quiet between them again and moves over to Steve and runs his hands through the blonde’s hair. “I am sorry for what I said this morning. I know you love our kids and I never doubted that.” Tony rests his forehead against Steve’s. “And if you and I ever were to divorce I would never let you live in a studio apartment and force you to begin working at 58, I would make sure you lived comfortably.” Tony promises him. “But I do plan on spending the rest of my life with you.” Steve smiles at that.

“I know.” Steve replies. “I am just scared that you will grow bored of me.” Steve admits.

Tony climbs onto the chair straddling him, his thumbs running along his jaw. “Never. You hear me Steve? I will never be bored with you.” Then he kisses him slowly and softly. “You are the love of my life and best friend Steve and your happiness means more than my own so if you want to teach again you should do that.” He whispers against Steve’s lips

“But what about the house? I mean I always clean and make breakfast and dinner…” Tony interrupts him.

“I can make breakfast and the dinner we can figure out. The kids need more chores! Worst case we hire a housekeeper.” Tony smile knowing Steve will hate that because it was a waste of money when they were capable of doing it on their own.

“Are you sure? I mean you are right I choose to stay home with the kids…” Tony kisses him again.

“I will not come home one day and find you having shot your brains out or have you leave me because you couldn’t take it any longer. So if you need to go back to work you do that and I will help out more at home until we find a routine. Okay?” Tony looks at him with the brown eyes that had not changed one bit over the last twenty years.

“Okay..”

The smile on Steve’s face was made the whole argument worth it to Tony, because Steve’s happiness would always be so much more important than his own even if he had to clean the house all on his own.


End file.
